Labeling for three-dimensional occluded shapes

Abstract

Systems and methods for displaying labels in conjunction with geographic imagery provided, for instance, by a geographic information system, such as a mapping service or a virtual globe application are provided. Candidate positions for displaying labels in conjunction with geographic imagery can be determined based at least in part on a virtual camera viewpoint. The candidate positions can be associated with non-occluded points on three-dimensional models corresponding to the labels. Adjusted positions for labels can be determined form the plurality of candidate positions. The labels can be provided for display in conjunction with the geographic imagery at the adjusted positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of displaying imagery of a geographic area, comprising:
 receiving, by one or more computing devices, data indicative of a request to view geographic imagery of a geographic area from a virtual camera viewpoint, wherein the request is based on zooming, panning, or tilting a virtual camera associated with the virtual camera viewpoint; 
 accessing, by the one or more computing devices, a label for each of two or more points of interest, each label having an initial position in the geographic imagery, the initial position being a position of the label in two-dimensional cartographic imagery depicting the point of interest, wherein the label is interactive and provides more information about the point of interest when selected by a computer interaction comprising clicking or tapping; 
 identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of candidate positions for each label based at least in part on the virtual camera viewpoint, each of the plurality of candidate positions associated with a non-occluded point on a surface edge of a three-dimensional model of a building corresponding to a geographic location of the point of interest associated with the label, wherein the plurality of candidate positions comprise all non-occluded points on surface edges of the three-dimensional model; 
 determining, by the one or more computing devices, an adjusted position for each label from the plurality of candidate positions, the adjusted position being determined based at least in part on a distance between the initial position of the label in the two-dimensional cartographic imagery and each of the plurality of candidate positions for the label, wherein the adjusted position is determined as the closest candidate position to the initial position for the label; 
 providing, by the one or more computing devices, each label at the adjusted position in the geographic imagery from the virtual camera viewpoint to a display device; and 
 displaying, by the display device, each label at the adjusted position in the geographic imagery from the virtual camera viewpoint. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial position of each label corresponds to the geographic location of the point of interest associated with the label. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying, by the one or more computing devices, the plurality of candidate positions comprises:
 accessing, by the one or more computing devices, the three-dimensional model; 
 identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of candidate points on the three-dimensional model; 
 determining, by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of non-occluded points from the plurality of candidate points based at least in part on the virtual camera viewpoint; and 
 identifying, by the one or more computing devices, the plurality of non-occluded points as the plurality of candidate positions. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of candidate positions are determined from a wireframe representation of the three-dimensional model. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises determining, by the one or more computing devices, that no candidate positions for at least one label are available from the virtual camera viewpoint. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein determining, by the one or more camera viewpoint comprises determining, by the one or more computing devices, that no non-occluded candidate points are available for the at least one label from the virtual camera viewpoint. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method comprises providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, the at least one label with no candidate positions with indicia indicative of occlusion. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each label comprises a text annotation. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the geographic imagery comprises a three-dimensional representation of the geographic area. 
     
     
       10. A computing system, comprising:
 a display device; 
 one or more memory devices; and 
 one or more processors, the processors storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising: 
 receiving data indicative of a request to view geographic imagery of a geographic area from a virtual camera viewpoint, wherein the request is based on zooming, panning, or tilting a virtual camera associated with the virtual camera viewpoint; 
 accessing a label for at least one point of interest, the label associated with a first position in the geographic imagery, the first position being a position of the label in two-dimensional cartographic imagery depicting the point of interest, wherein the label is interactive and provides more information about the point of interest when selected by a computer interaction comprising clicking or tapping; 
 identifying a plurality of candidate positions for the label based at least in part on the virtual camera viewpoint, each of the plurality of candidate positions associated with a non-occluded point on a surface edge of a three-dimensional model of a building corresponding to a geographic location of the point of interest, wherein the plurality of candidate positions comprise all non-occluded points on surface edges of the three-dimensional model; 
 determining a second position for the label from the plurality of candidate positions, the second position being determined based at least in part on a distance between the first position of the label in the two-dimensional cartographic imagery and each of the plurality of candidate positions for the label, wherein the adjusted position is determined as the closest candidate position to the initial position for the label; and 
 providing for display on the display device, the label at the second position in the geographic imagery from the virtual camera viewpoint. 
 
     
     
       11. The computing system of  claim 10 , wherein the operation of identifying the plurality of candidate positions comprises:
 accessing the three-dimensional model; 
 identifying a plurality of candidate points on the three-dimensional model; 
 determining a plurality of non-occluded points from the plurality of candidate points based at least in part on the virtual camera viewpoint; and 
 identifying the plurality of non-occluded points as the plurality of candidate positions. 
 
     
     
       12. One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by one or more processing devices cause the one or more processing devices to perform operations, the operation comprising:
 receiving data indicative of a request to view geographic imagery of a geographic area from a virtual camera viewpoint, the geographic imagery providing a three-dimensional representation of the geographic area, wherein the request is based on zooming, panning, or tilting a virtual camera associated with the virtual camera viewpoint; 
 accessing a label for each of two or more point of interest, each label associated with an initial position in the geographic imagery, the initial position being a position of the label in two-dimensional cartographic imagery depicting the point of interest, wherein the label is interactive and provides more information about the point of interest when selected by a computer interaction comprising clicking or tapping; 
 identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of candidate positions for each label based at least in part on the virtual camera viewpoint, each of the plurality of candidate positions associated with a non-occluded point on a surface edge of a three-dimensional model of a building corresponding to a geographic location of the point of interest associated with the label, wherein the plurality of candidate positions comprise all non-occluded points on surface edges of the three-dimensional model; 
 determining an adjusted position for each label from the plurality of candidate positions based at least in part on a distance between the initial position of the label and each of the plurality of candidate positions for the label, the adjusted position being determined based at least in part on a distance between the initial position of the label in the two-dimensional cartographic imagery and each of the plurality of candidate positions for the label, wherein the adjusted position is determined as the closest candidate position to the initial position for the label; and 
 providing for display each label at the adjusted position in the geographic imagery from the virtual camera viewpoint. 
 
     
     
       13. The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 12 , wherein the operation of identifying the plurality of candidate positions comprises:
 accessing the three-dimensional model; 
 identifying a plurality of candidate points on the three-dimensional model; 
 determining a plurality of non-occluded points from the plurality of candidate points based at least in part on the virtual camera viewpoint; and 
 identifying the plurality of non-occluded points as the plurality of candidate positions. 
 
     
     
       14. The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 12 , wherein the operations comprise:
 determining that no candidate positions for at least one label are available from the virtual camera viewpoint; and 
 providing for display the at least one label with no candidate positions with indicia indicative of occlusion.